“Academic research conducted in by trained researchers, and approved by an institutional review board, is the most ethical and rigorous way to conduct research and garner valid and reliable results. In this way, the company is at least one step removed from the study design, participants, and data, which helps to maintain the integrity of the findings. Sexuality research, specifically, is among the most challenging of all research to conduct because of the sensitive, controversial nature of the topic, and because individuals have closely and firmly held values regarding their own sexuality and the sexuality of others. Researchers with specialized training in sexual science research methods is critical when undertaking studies of this kind. Mixed methods study designs, in which both qualitative and quantitative data is collected, can be extremely effective in exploratory research, like we conducted regarding the We-Vibe because we are able to see overall trends in participants’ perceptions of the product, but also gather in-depth information about how and why they feel the way they do.”Dr. Robin Milhausen, Ph.D., Sexpert